Melinda Palacio
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| You know your book is official when you spot it in a bookstore's window. |
Next week is the official roll out of my new poetry book,How Fire Is a Story, Waiting. There have been several preambles, including areading and a few sales at the Las Comadres Writers Conference in New York. Theexcitement of showing off my first full-length poetry book caused me toovernight 10 copies to myself. Of course, I didn't tell anyone about thisprideful and foolish act, not to mention the shipping expense which I will notrecoup even though I sold all ten copies. I knew my days and luck in New Yorkwere coming to a close, at least for 2012. Along with the three trips to NewYork, beginning with the Mariposa Award at the International Latino Book Awardsin May, the Brooklyn Book Festival in September, and the Las Comadres y LosCompadres Writers Conference, this year has proven to be more than thrilling,thanks to all three of my NY hosts Sherman Chan, Toni Plummer, and Lizzie andMark Cofrancesco.
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| At the Las Comadres y Los Compadres Writers Conference, NY |
The next preamble was my visit to the Michigan City PublicLibrary in Michigan City, Indiana, and Purdue North Central. The library'sformat consisted of an interview by Michigan City's Lucrecia Guerrero and thena reading. After the interview, Lucrecia left her chair on stage and took aseat in the audience. From the vantage of some photos, it looks as if I ampulling a Clint Eastwood and talking to an empty chair.
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| That empty chair thing... |
A minor adjustment tothis awkward format is my only suggestion. The librarians, staff, and townsfolkwho came out on a rainy day impressed me. I love the town because they featuredme on the front page of their newspaper two days in a row. Also, reading at Purdue North Central and visiting Kenny Kincaid's class was a highlight.
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| Savoring the rare moment of being on the front page of Michigan City's The News Dispatch. |
While I was in Indiana, I received notice from BilingualPress that Ocotillo Dreams is in reprint. More gratitude to everyone who hasordered a copy of the novel for themselves and their classes.
My hosts in Indiana, Lucrecia Guerrero and Jerry Holt, suremade me feel like a rockstar with their warm welcome, not to mention they droveme everywhere, including gorgeous Lake Michigan, where I had a chance to see theFall leaves in their golden splendor.
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| Fall Colors at Purdue North Central |
The October portion of the Fire tour winds down with theTexas Book Festival this weekend. Reyna Grande will be on three panels and Iwill be in conversation with Jeff Biggers, Sunday October 28 at 1:45-2:45 pm in the Extension Room E2.030 of the Texas State Capitol. The moderator will be Erica Grieder.
When I return to California on Tuesday, I will be on DavidStarkey's the Creative Community Show. If the name sounds familiar, DavidStarkey is Santa Barbara's poet laureate emeritus and one of the hardestworking poets and educators I know. He has this to say about my new poetrybook:
“Continue to fix broken things,” Melinda Palacio writes in“Ramona Street,” and the poems in HowFire Is a Story, Waiting are consumed with naming the problems of the worldand trying—however provisionally—to set them right. Palacio’s verse, dense with imagery, is by turns sorrowfuland sardonic, and always the voice is her own. There’s a little universe in this book: enter and learn."
November begins with a presentation in Compton at El CaminoCollege and then a talk at UCSB the next day on November 2.
If you are wondering, 'does she ever stop?'.
Answer:I am taking a vacation to Cuba and will be back in time topresent How Fire Is a Story, Waiting at the National Hispanic Cultural Centerin Albuquerque November 17 and then the next day at Luivette Resto's poetryseries La Palabra at Avenue 50 studio in Highland Park at 2pm.
But first, let's get through the end of October and prepareto honor our ancestors and dress up as our favorite fictional character. Don'tmiss readings by your favorite blogeuros. Here's where Rudy will be this week:Oct. 24-31, Bloguero Rudy Ch. Garciawill be in HOUSTON at the River Oaks Bookstore; and in SANANTONIO at the SW Workers Union Underground Library, The Twig BookShop and at Palo Alto College. Clickhere for details.
Melinda in Print:
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